Pickling apparatus



Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656,528

J. w. MILLARD Filed Dec. 9. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1 i i u m I I I r i H H lNl/E/ITCR ,4 RNEY Jan. 17, 1928.

J. W.' MILLARD PICKLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9. 1926 a Sheets-Shet 2 1 N VEN TOR.

Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656,528

J. w. MILLARD PICKLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORN Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH W. MILLARD, OF MARTIN'S FERRY, OHIO.

FICKLING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 9, 1926. Serial No. 153,521.

This invention relates broadly to apparatus for effecting pickling of metal rods, bars and tubing, and it has for its primary object to provide simple and effective means for removing the scale from lengths of metal rods, bars and tubing during the carrying out of the usual pickling operation or process. 3

It is well known to those skilled in the art that the manufacture of butt and lap weld tubes from skelp involves the heating, and, frequently, repeated reheatings, of the metal in the rolling and'sizing operations in order to produce perfect joints; also that the hot rolling of rods and bars, especially.

. of circular cross section, from blooms re quires, one or more beatings, and that such heatings and reheatings result in the-prop duction and the deposit on the surfaces of the product of a very considerable amount of scale.

It is the purpose of the present 1nvent1on to provide, in association with a tankfor containing a ickling solution, means whereby, the metal rods, bars or tubes are supported within the tank and are continuous y subjectedto a rolling or tumbling thereof for effecting the prompt dislodgment of adhering scale with the result that the pickling is accomplished very much more rapidly than has been possible heretofore.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is herein had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view of the same, partlyin side elevation and partly 'in longitudinal section; 4

Figure 3 is a cross section on line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Figure of the carrying chain, partly in plan an partly in section; and

Figure 5 is a .view of the same, partly in side elevation and partly in section.

Referring to said drawings, 1 indicates the sides and 3 the bottom of a pickling tank adapted for containing any ap ropriate pickling solution. Suitably locate at each of the opposite sides of t e tank are supports 2. Journaled above the level of the top of the tank and at opposite sides of the latter, as in bearings 20 borne by said supports, are shafts 5 and 6, one thereof, as t e shaft 6, being driven by suitable means, as

4 is an enlarged view of a length by anelectric' motor 7 connected thereto by suitable drive gearing enclosed within a gear case 8. The other shaft 5 is driven by an endless sprocket chain 9 which connects sprocket wheels 10 and 11 fixed on said shafts 5 and 6, respectively,

Sprocket wheels 12 mounted on said shafts in opposed pairs carry endless traveling chains 14 which constitute carriers for the lengths of rods, bars or tubes 13 which are being pickled, said chains having those portions thereof between the. oppositely disposed sprockets 12 depending within the pickling solution in the tank in the form of catenary loops, as is clearly shown at a in Fig. 3. Idler sprockets 15 located in a common vertical plane with each of the opposed airs of sprockets 12 cooperates with the latter for carrying the chains 14. Said idler sprockets, herein shown as mounted on stub s afts 16 carried by the supports 2, are so located relative to the level of the bottom 3 of the tank that the chains 14 in passing horizontally from one to the other thereof travel beneath said bottom, as shown.

The catenary loops at of the chains 14 constitute supports upon which rods, bars or tubes 13 to be treated are carried in sub-- merged relation to the pickling fluid.

, The chains 14 carry, or have formed on links thereof, preferably at spaced intervals, outwardly projecting lugs or dogs 17 which, in the advanced travel of said chains through the pickling solution, tend to carry forward therewith the thereby-engaged rods, bars or tubes, thus producing a continuous rolling and tumbhng of the latter relative to each other. Such rolling and tumbling manifestly subjects the material or articles under treatment to frictional rubbing and battering to the extent that scale carried thereby is effectively dislodged d in a small fraction of the time which has hitherto been required in effecting the ickling of such articles. Experiments ave shown that pickling of rods, bars and tubes may be accomplished by means of the hereinbefore described apparatus in approximately one-sixth the time required to produce equally effective results by the most approved of heretofore prevailing methods of pickling. Thus, the capacity of the tank for effecting pickling is greatly increased, and, consequently, the cost ofthe pickling,

or scale-removing treatment is materially reduced.

The carrying chains 14 are herein shown as two in number, but it will be understood that a greater number of such chains may be" employed, de ending upon the length of the material to be ickled, it being desirable that the width 0 space between chains-shall be such that little if anysagging of the material may occur.

What is claimed is-- 1. In apparatus for pickling metal rods, bars, tubes and similar articles, the combination with a tank container for a pickling solution of endless traveling chains supported outside and in independent relation to said tank and havingportions of the lengths thereof depending within the tank in the form of catenary loopsand constituting supports for a plurality of such articles, and means borne by said chains for engaging and advancing said articles for producing rolling and tumbling thereof relative to each other.

2. In apparatus for pickling metal rods,

bars, tubes and similar articles, the combination with a tank container for a pickling solution of shafts jou'rnaled at opposite sides of and independently of the tank, 3

sprockets carried said shafts, endless traveling chains borne by said sprockets and having portions of the len tbs thereof depending Within the tank 1n the form of catenary loops and constituting supports for a plurality of such articles, said chains carrying projecting devices whereon the supported articles are advanced and elevated for subjectin ous rolling and tum ling.

3. In apparatus for pickling metal rods, bars, tubes and similar articles, the combination with a tank container for a pickling solution, of upright supports located outwardly and independently of the tank, shafts journaled on said supports, sprockets carried by said shafts, endless traveling chains borne by said sprockets having portions of the lengths thereof depending within the tank in the form of catenary loops and constituting supports for a plurality of such articles, said chains embodying links having formed thereon projecting dogs by which, in the travel of the chains, articles adjacent thereto are engaged and advanced for inducin relative rollmg and tumbling of the artic es.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH W. MILLARD.

the latter to continu- 

